The present invention relates generally to voice and digital communications services, and more particularly, the invention relates to a method, system, and storage medium for providing automated call acknowledgement services over a communications network.
The growing popularity of the Internet and the associated Internet protocol (IP) technology has carried over to the cellular industry which has embraced IP as the networking architecture of choice for creating and implementing new applications and service offerings. Recent trends toward open, packet-based wireless technology has facilitated an extraordinary expansion of global, wireless subscribers which continues to grow each year.
This third-generation (3G) technology provides network operators and third-party content and service providers with vast potential for delivering new services and value-added content to mobile cellular subscribers that can be personalized in ways never before thought possible.
While the increase in mobile communications has provided great flexibility and convenience for the subscriber, it has also created the need for improvements. For example, a subscriber of mobile services often finds that calls come through at inopportune moments, such as while driving in a car, sitting in a meeting, or while the subscriber is otherwise occupied. The increase in traffic accidents by drivers distracted while talking on cell phones and the recent legislation restricting cell phone usage on the road is evidence of the need for additional service options for the mobile device user.
In most situations, the called party has two choices: answer the call or allow the call to go unanswered. There are circumstances that arise, however, whereby the caller is not able to answer the call and has no other option but to let the call pass. With caller identification service, the called party may be aware of who is placing the call but has no way of acknowledging the call or the caller without physically answering the call.
What is needed, therefore, is a convenient way to acknowledge to a caller that the called party is aware of the call and to communicate information as to how or when the two parties may communicate at a future time without physically answering the call.